Rockhold will make his promotional debut against Belfort in the
UFC on FX 8 main event on Saturday at the Arena Jaragua in
Jaragua do Sul, Brazil. A win over “The Phenom” would almost
certainly launch the former Strikeforce
champion into the title contender discussion at 185 pounds.

“I want to beat Vitor, and I want to get a title shot,” Rockhold
told Sherdog.com. “That’s what I’m here for. I’m here to be the
best in the world. I didn’t come to be second-best. I came here to
take that belt and to be the best in the world, so I’m going to get
there as soon as I can, and beating Vitor should put me in that
direction.”

In the weeks leading up to the event, Belfort has become the
subject of controversy over his use of testosterone replacement
therapy. Rockhold was outspoken in his criticism of the Brazilian
and TRT, even suggesting prolonged past steroid usage as a
potential cause for Belfort’s low testosterone levels. Even so,
Rockhold recognizes the formidable challenge in front of him.
Belfort has rattled off eight wins in his past 10 appearances,
losing only to reigning UFC champions Anderson
Silva and Jon Jones.

“He’s dangerous, whether he’s on TRT or not,” Rockhold said. “He’s
still got that power; he’s still got that explosiveness.”

Blessed with blinding hand speed and devastating knockout power,
Belfort has earned a reputation for starting fast and fading late
in fights. His opponent has taken notice.

“He’s got a good round or two in him,” Rockhold said. “Beyond that,
who knows where he’s at, where his head’s at? He says he’s got
cardio. He says he’s got all that. I can push five rounds like no
one else, and I’ll do it if need be. I want to finish him earlier.
I want to finish him while he’s hot. I want to make a statement in
this fight. I feel capable of beating him everywhere.”

Such confidence grew out of Rockhold’s string of nine consecutive
victories. The 28-year-old Santa Cruz, Calif., native has recorded
seven first-round finishes during his streak.

“I feel like I’m pretty well-rounded,” Rockhold said. “I can fight
in all areas. I don’t back down from a fight. I’m not going to be
shy. I’ll be in your face. Sometimes, I like to fight a little too
much. I like to give and take. In this fight, I’ll have to be a
little bit smarter. I have to respect Vitor and his striking.”

Anchored at the
American Kickboxing Academy, Rockhold has honed his skills
inside one of the sport’s most prestigious camps. He believes his
strengths match up well with Belfort’s weaknesses.

“I came from a wrestling background and a lot of jiu-jitsu,”
Rockhold said. “You’re going to see me wrestling. [I have] got to
get some blood in Vitor’s arms and slow him down a little bit, and
then maybe I’ll pick him apart on the feet from there or finish him
earlier on the ground. This fight will be everywhere. It will be
explosive. I don’t see how this fight could be boring.”

Confident ‘Kamikaze’

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Cariaso has won three of four.

Chris
Cariaso has never suffered back-to-back defeats as a
professional mixed martial artist, and he plans to keep that
history intact when he meets Jussier da
Silva in a pivotal flyweight affair.

“I am very excited for this fight,” Cariaso told UFC.com in his
pre-fight interview. “I think the contrast of our styles makes this
a very intriguing fight. He is a very good grappler and has good
striking.”

Da Silva was once regarded as the world’s top fighter at 125
pounds. Losses to Ian McCall and
John
Dodson, the latter by second-round technical knockout in his
Octagon debut seven months ago, have brought the Brazilian
submission specialist back down to earth. Cariaso, with a
background in sanshou and kickboxing, has compiled a 4-2 record
since joining the UFC as part of the
World Extreme Cagefighting merger in 2010.

“I have the defense to keep the fight standing, where I am much
stronger,” he said, “but if we go to the ground, he will be
threatened in every position.”